A Fork in the Road
by Paperfist 5
Summary: When Obi-wan is struck down on the Death Star, he returns to the Temple where he lived thirty years prior... AU Time-Travel


Obi-wan Kenobi walked slowly throughout the corridors of the Death Star, not bothering to hide his Force-Signature. It did not matter, as he had come here for one reason, and only one: to face his apprentice once more.

His long, scorched Jedi robes flowed behind him. The old Jedi could sense his former apprentice, bubbling with anger.

He closed his eyes, tears threatening to form. _Why did it have to end this way? Why did Anakin have to turn? _

Obi-wan had always wondered what prosthetics Anak-no-Vader had to get after his horrendous injury. The Council Member shuddered at the thought. Even in Padme's ship, he had felt Anakin's cries of pain in the Force.

_Padme…her children. What would she think of me now?_

He had failed her, he had failed her children. Obi-wan still remembered the heartless gesture he had performed when he refused her amulet. But alas, it was too late.

The old Master turned a corner, sharp eyes catching a red glow. Obi-wan shifted his eyes upwards, into the dark mask of Darth Vader.

He glanced at the new body of his former apprentice in horror, the black suit that covered Vader blinking with life support systems. Obi-wan heard the respirations of Vader, slow and steady, resonate throughout the hall.

"I have been waiting for you, _Master_," said the dark figure in contempt. "It has been a long time."

"No doubt, Vader," Obi-wan replied evenly, dropping his old Jedi robes to the dark cool floor. He summoned his lightsaber from his belt into his hand and dropped into his famous Soresu stance.

The former High Council Member could feel the dark side fill his former apprentice's limbs with an unnatural power. His eyes sprang open when he felt Vader spring forward to attack.

The two lightsabers met, one blue, the other red. Vader sneered. "When I last left you, I was an apprentice, and you were the master. Now, _I _am the master."

Obi-wan parried a blow, the slash jarring him back into concentration. He replied evenly, "Only a master of evil, Darth."

One of the few remaining Jedi held off Vader, the famous Soresu practitioner easily fending off Vader's angry attacks. Obi-wan let the Force fill his mind with warnings, every feint or attack easily fended off by an angled parry or a dodge.

Obi-wan noticed with interest that Vader no longer used his customary, angry, hacking form of Djem So. _It must be because of the limitations of his armored suit_, he thought to himself.

The old Jedi master was forced backwards into a small hangar with TIE fighter parts. The engineers working there had taken one good look at the two fighting and had run off to who-knows-where.

Obi-wan took his time to take a good look at Vader. He wondered how a cute, little, innocent boy could have turned into this towering monster.

The Council Member flipped over a mess of broken down TIEs and created a force barrier. Vader yelled in frustration. Obi-wan just sadly shook his head. _I hope I can free you from this pain,_ Obi-wan thought. _I will not strike you down as an enemy, but instead for a friend._

Reaching into the Force, Obi-wan lifted a huge engine from the ground and hurled it at Vader. The Sith Lord had barely time to lift his lightsaber and cut in two. By then Obi-wan had lifted another couple engines and threw them with great force at his former apprentice. With every slash, Vader grew more frustrated and angry.

The Sith finally had enough. When a jumble of TIE parts flew towards him, he did a near suicidal maneuver: flying straight towards it.

With an explosion, the Force barrier crumbled, Vader landing heavily on the ground. The Sith Lord gathered the Force together and sent a red ball of Dark Force energy at the frail Jedi.

Obi-wan simply slashed through it with his azure lightsaber. The old Jedi backed up, parrying Vader's vicious blows.

_How did it end up like this?_ Obi-wan thought. _He was my friend, my brother, my son. He was the Chosen One. And yet now, he joined those he swore to destroy_.

The old Jedi flipped backwards, continuing towards the hangar where the Corellian spaceship was located.

Obi-wan was forced back, towards a blast door that led to the _Falcon_. He mused, _If only I knew this was to happen. If only something different had happened. If only Qui-gon had survived…_

The High Council member sent Vader back with a vicious Force push. As he watched the soulless eyes that undoubtly was filled with hatred behind the mask, Obi-wan hit a realization. _I was a terrible master. I committed the exact same mistake as Qui-gon did with Xanatos. I turned him away, pushed him towards the one person that would accept him…Palpatine. I…denied him access to my heart._

The realization caused him to stumble backwards, a blow from Vader nearly slicing him into two.

Obi-wan blocked another slash, knocked away another thrust and circled around Vader. From the corner of his eye, he could see that Luke, Leia, and the others were waiting near a small command center, ready to run.

He saw Vader ready to swing once more.

He did not raise his lightsaber to block.

A lifetime of memories flashed before his eyes…

_Bruck Chun was forced backwards by Obi-wan's flurry of blows, sneer turning into a face of hatred when he was disarmed and knocked to the ground. Obi-wan panted, adrenaline flowing through his veins and sweat pouring down his face. He turned to face Qui-Gon, who watched with an expressionless face…_

"_I will not take you as my apprentice," Qui-Gon said. "It is too risky to train a boy that might turn to the Dark Side in his future…"_

_Bruck Chun's piggy eyes widened in fear when he fell, hand reached for Obi-wan's outstretched one but he was too far. The fallen former Jedi learner screamed in fear as he fell down, down, down to the rapids below…_

_A small, young, blond-haired boy appeared. "Hello. I'm Anakin Skywalker, master Jedi…"_

_The cruel face of Darth Maul grinned coldly when Qui-Gon stumbled backwards, a blow from the Sith's lightsaber handle stunning the Ataru Master. With precision, the Zabrack reversed the grip on his weapon and thrust the other end into his Master's torso. Obi-wan felt unimaginable pain through his training bond, watching in horror as his Master fell. Grief and pain filled him, but then the laser walls opened and then there was no time to think…_

_He blocked Dooku's light yet precise slashes, only to be scratched on the arm and leg. He fell, though Anakin blocked the killing blow from landing. With all his effort, he summoned his fallen lightsaber and tossed it to Anakin. But he could only watch as his padawan was defeated, arm sliced cruelly off. There was no hope…_

_He watched in horror as he saw Anakin killing fellow Jedi, killing the librarian, killing the younglings. "What must I do?" he had asked, and the words of Yoda haunted him. "Face him you must…"_

_He was on the volcanic planet of Mustafar, trading blows and barbs with his former padawan. He leaped upon the volcanic shore, to give his padawan and friend one last warning of determent before he was forced to harm his padawan, his friend, his brother…_

_He gave a small bundle to a young woman, a disapproving man watching from afar. "He is the galaxy's only hope now…"_

"_Your father was a Jedi Knight, serving alongside me during the Clone Wars." He saw Luke's amazement and smiled. As enthusiastic as his father, he thought with a pang in his heart…_

Obi-wan Kenobi looked up. His famous serene smile of acceptance startled Vader in midswing. The Jedi Council member swung his lightsaber.

The brilliant azure blade revealed the true face of Darth Vader. Distantly, he heard Luke shout out in alarm. The face of Anakin Skywalker contorted into rage, and Obi-wan felt a sharp pain in his chest.

Darth Vader retracted his lightsaber. "I HATE you Obi-wan. YOU DID THIS TO ME!"

Obi-wan shook his head. "No, Anakin. You did this to yourself. I just wanted to let you know." The Jedi Master coughed harshly, breathing becoming ragged. "I would have done anything…anything to change this. Because…we…are…brothers."

The last thing High Council Member, Jedi Master, High General Obi-wan Kenobi heard was the panicked shout of Luke and the sound of blaster fire.

_If only I could've changed this…_

**AN: I will not pair Obi-wan with Siri Tachi, just saying. Don't ask why. **

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